Wolf's Rain: Markings II
by Yoshikou
Summary: The events of Wolf's Rain: Markings after the world has been renewed and the two brothers are separated and must find each other again. Along their journey, they're joined by several wolves (as well as humans) that the readers may create.
1. Prologue

**I'm just starting the second part of the series, so don't expect daily updates ^^. This is a continuation of Wolf's Rain: Markings, if you haven't read the first one yet, you should go read it now! Well, here's the prologue, hope you enjoy.**

_ A breeze drifted across the land. The sun was shining, although clouds formed a mocking smile around it, an ominous message. A figure stirred, waking up and raising its snowy white head. There were trees surrounding him, though he could not remember where or why he was even here. He looked around, flicking his eyes around in desperation._

_ "Kurai?" he whispered slowly at first. His voice rose to a shout. "Kurai?!"_

_ No response. The only thing that responded was an eagle screeching in the air. _

_ The figure stood up on all fours, shaking his head, trying to remember. The last thing he remembers was his brother lying beside him. Where could he have gone? Did he desert him?_

_ Suddenly his ears perked up. Strange scents began filling his nose, as he heard the sound of footsteps. He smelled the air, and his whole body froze. There were a lot of humans...and they were approaching him. He stood on wobbly feet, not used to moving after such a long time of sleep. He began padding away from the scents, but a human spotted him._

_ "Wolf!" the human cried. Immediately, the human was surrounded by other humans and the white figure could see that they were armed. They aimed at him as he tried to run away. The markings on his body gleamed as the sun made contact with his body. He heard the sound of gunshots behind him as he fled from the scene._

_ Why are humans here? he thought. Why are they still hunting us?_

_ His thoughts were interrupted by a searing pain in his hind leg, he looked around and noticed a bullet embedded in his leg. He lifted his hind leg off the ground, trying not to put pressure on it as he continued running. He ran, and ran for hours on end. He ran until there were no more sounds of gunshots, and the last scent of the humans was hidden by the rain that poured down from the skies. He collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion, his crystalline blue eyes filled with confusion and despair. A trail of blood from where he was shot was behind him, but the rain would wash that away. He crawled into a nearby cave and curled into a ball. He bit into where bullet was in his leg, popping it out He growled as he spat it out. His eyes flashed for a moment as the markings on his body glowed and the wound sewed itself close. His fur was matted with dirt,mud and sweat, his powers were diminished. Never had he felt so far from the moon, almost as if the moon did not even exist. Before he drifted off into unconsciousness, he howled one question into the sky._

_ "Brother, where are you?"_

**A/N: Okay for this story, I'll be adding my own characters in, as well as characters that the readers come up with. You can leave a review/pm me with the characters that you have created with the physical description,name,gender as well as what pack you would like to join (You'll be able to join Shiroi's pack or Kurai's pack).  
**


	2. Chapter 1

**I don't own Wolf's Rain, but please read&review, thanks!**

"Hello?" a voice came from no where in particular. "Are you alive?"

Kurai felt a gentle prod to his side, and he groaned as his eyes struggled to open. A dim light shining from between an opening that the buildings made shone on his eyes.

_Where...am I?_ he wondered as he struggled to stand up. It felt like his body wasn't even his anymore, like he forgot how to stand up. He finally managed to get himself into a sitting position, and looked at the figure who woke him. The figure- a female timber wolf with grey fur was sitting in front of him with curious lavender eye. Although Kurai slept for god knows how long, he felt weak for some reason. His eyes flickered around when he noticed that his brother wasn't next to him.

"Shiroi?" he said with a whisper at first. His eyes flickered around wildly. "SHIROI!" he screamed.

"Calm down, you're safe here" the female wolf said, approaching him. Kurai snarled and leapt at her, knocking her onto her back and baring his fangs at her. She screamed.

"What did you do with him?" he snarled into her face.

"W-who?" she stammered.

"Don't play dumb. There was another wolf- my brother and he was right next to me"

"I don't know what you're talking about, when we found you, you were alone!" she shouted out. Kurai stared into her eyes, and his eyes flashed a light blue color as he delved into her memories. He found out that she was telling the truth and stepped off her, shaking his head in confusion. His brother was right next to him when they fell asleep, how could they have been separated? He felt exhausted, which is weird because he rested for a long time. There was something wrong... He nearly collapsed onto the floor, but the female wolf stepped next to him and supported him. He looked at her for a bit, before leaning on her for support.

"Sorry" Kurai said. "For attacking you like that." Her snout curved up, almost like a smile.

"It's no biggie...My name is Rain, what's your name?" she asked.

"Kurai" he responded, groaning. His head was killing him. "Are you sure you didn't see another wolf with me when you found me?" Kurai knew the answer, but he wanted reassurance.

"I'm sorry, we didn't see anyone else."

"We?"

She smiled a sad smile, Kurai sat on his haunches while she stood facing him. "My brother and I. Jaguara's wolves attacked our pack, killed everyone except us."

Kurai's ears perked up. "Jaguara's wolves?"

"Yes" she replied with a nod. "White wolves that would kill even their own kin." She bristled. "That's why they say white wolves are demons from hell."

Kurai was speechless. Could one of the white wolves be his brother? But Shiroi wouldn't let himself get captured so easily.

"Anyways, what were you doing out by yourself in the forest?" she asked, flicking her ears in question.

"Forest?" Kurai replied in confusion. They weren't in a forest the last time he remembered.

"Yeah you were lying in a forest, not moving at all. We thought you were dead."

Kurai groaned again as another wave of nausea assaulted his head. "My head... What's wrong with this place...?"

"They set up some sort of barriers which deflects the moon's rays. This way, it makes it easier for them to hunt down wolves."

"My brother...I need to find my brother..." Kurai whispered before attempting to stand up, but collapsing back onto the ground. His eyes started to close in exhaustion, but his mind yelled at him to get up. He heard Rain calling out to him, but she sounded so far away. He closed his eyes, slipping into unconsciousness.

They promised that they'd stick together, but why was fate so cruel as to separate them?

Kurai felt Rain's paw prodding him again, asking what was wrong but he didn't have the energy to respond. Suddenly, his eyes flared open and he lifted his ead in agony. His eyes started glowing again as white markings began etching themselves onto his body. Rain watched in awe as the markings appeared on Kurai's body. After a minute or two, Kurai's eyes stopped glowing and he dropped his head onto the floor panting.

"Whoa, what the hell was that?" Rain asked, curiously eying Kurai as if he was some sort of sorcerer. Kurai didn't respond, he was too tired to. Instead he closed his eyes and drifted off into sleep.

_Where are you...?_

**_A/N:_ Thanks to moonfeather58 for letting me use his character in my story. This is only one of the two characters that are introduced in the story so far, but the other one will appear later. **


	3. Chapter 2

Shiroi wandered throughout the forest, searching for any signs of where he might be. Branches cracked underneath the weight of his paws, as his eyes looked warily, scanning the forest.

_Had the world been reborn already?_

If so, where was Kurai? He was pretty sure that the two of them were side by side when they fell asleep. How could Kurai have disappeared? Did Kurai wake up before he did, and if so, where was he now?

Shiroi shook his head in confusion. Whatever it is, he needed to find Kurai as soon as possible. Shiroi's body emerged from the woods, with multiple cuts and twigs sticking from his fur. He had been pursued relentlessly by people, not necessarily soldiers but regular citizens. His energy was almost depleted, but he needed to find a place to rest. A question formed in his head as he was being chased.

_Did they really fear him that much?_

* * *

_ "_Brother!" Rain cried as a figure pushed open the door to their shelter with his snout. Another large timber wolf appeared, lean but his muscles rippled as he strode in. In his mouth he carried two small chickens. He laid them on the floor and went over to where Rain sat.

"Has he woken up?" he asked.

"Yeah he was awake this morning. He thought we were enemies, and attacked me" she started, eying the unconscious wolf.

"He attacked you?" he growled, stepping closer to where Kurai laid.

"No! Wait, it was a misunderstanding. He was looking for his brother, and he thought we took him..."

Hail felt a pang of sympathy for the wolf. He and his sister were the only survivors of the Trail River massacre, as their family died protecting them and giving them an escape route. He and his sister were the only thing he had left, and he could feel Kurai's pain of not having his brother beside him. He walked over to Kurai's body, placing a paw on his flank before noticing the strange engravings.

"Rain, were these markings here earlier today?" he curiously asked.

"Yeah, the strangest thing happened that you would not believe" Rain said as she walked over to him. "I don't think he's a regular wolf. His eyes, Hail... They started glowing blue and the markings appeared on his body soon after."

"Hmm..." Hail said as he inspected Kurai. The black wolf's body trembled and shivered, almost as if his energy was being sapped away. "He doesn't look too good."

"It's the city, Hail. The damned nobles set up the barriers, they're trying to force us out. We won't be able to maintain our disguises if this continues" Rain said worriedly. "When the white wolves come, we won't be able to hide. They'll sniff us out and then they'll kill us! They'll kill us like our family!"

Hail stepped beside Rain and licked the top of her head in a comforting gesture. Rain whimpered.

"They won't" Hail said resolutely. "They won't kill you, or me. I'll protect you, I promise." Hail picked up one of the chickens, offering it to Rain. She accepted it, it's been a while since she has eaten and she was famished. She bit into the chicken, feeling the warmth of it, and started tearing pieces of it apart. She stopped in the middle of her meal when she heard a groan coming from the other side of the room.

Kurai shook his head, and his eyes flickered around the room as if he did not remember where he was. His eyes settled on Rain and Hail before he rose up on all fours and started padding over to them. He glared at Hail in hostility.

"Who...are you?" he said weakly.

"That's Hail, my brother" Rain answered for him. Hail nodded at Kurai, and Kurai accepted his presence with a swish of his tail.

"Where are we...?" he asked.

"Dervish City" Hail replied. He went over and picked up the other chicken and offered it to Kurai. "Chicken?"

Kurai shook his head. "I don't eat"

He started padding towards the door slowly, each step taking a huge amount of effort.

"Wait! Where are you going?" asked Rain.

"I have to find my brother" came the reply.

"You'll get yourself killed if you go out there" Hail sighed heavily. Kurai stopped and looked at them.

"Look, if your brother is out there. The chances of him being alive is..."

Kurai snarled at her, daring her to finish her sentence. "We're not like you wolves. We're different."

"Well, we got that from the get-go" Rain responded, looking at Kurai's markings on his body.

"Okay, suppose you do find your brother. Where will you be going?" Hail asked, looking Kurai right in the eyes. Kurai stared back at the silver eyes with determination.

He took a breath. "Paradise."

That one word echoed throughout both twins' minds. Paradise, what their mother would tell them before they fell asleep. A place where Lunar Flowers blossomed and food was never scarce. Where they won't have worry about being hunted.

"That's bullshit" Hail growled at Kurai. "Paradise doesn't exist."

"It does exist" Kurai said with no emotions. "If you help me, I can show you where it is and how we can get in."

The twins hesitated for a bit. Rain looking at Hail, and vice versa.

"Hell, if we're going to die, we might as well try and look for this 'Paradise'" Rain said.

"Rain, we're not going to die" Hail snapped at her.

"Yes we are!" she snapped back. "Don't you see? Everyday, it's getting harder and harder to get food. Everyday, we worry about some wolves coming here and killing us. Don't you want to get out of this stinking town? If I were to die, I rather die out there, than in here!"

Hail stood speechless. Never had his sister spoken to him in this manner, they were always so close. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Okay" he said with resignation. "What are we going to do first?"

"We're going to find my brother."

"Okay that's very specific. What's his name?"

"Shiroi" Kurai whispered, his eyes gazing into no one in particular.

* * *

Shiroi ran from the shower of bullets that were shot at him. He never expected the townspeople of this specific city to be this hostile. Literally every person in the city had guns, and were shooting at him. Several bullets were embedded in his shoulder,sides and one in his leg, causing him to limp. He felt his energy being siphoned off as soon as he entered the city, almost as if the moon refused to grant him anymore power. He ran as fast as he could, trying to find shelter from the hail of bullets that were directed at him.

"Get the white demon!" one voice cried.

"He ran this way!" another said.

"Those wolves killed my family, today I'll avenge them!"

_Kill? _Shiroi thought. _I didn't kill anyone!_

His breaths came in heavy pants as he ran into an alley and hid behind a garbage can. The crowd ran past him, and he breathed a sigh of relief. The wounds he sustained were refusing to heal, though. He tried using his powers to mend them, but his markings only flickered a little before dying down. He noticed there was a basement in the alley and he started walking towards it. Suddenly, the door opened and a young teenager with red hair,red shirt and green pants stood staring at him. Shiroi's breath caught in his throat.

"Toboe?" he whispered. Shiroi saw through the teen's disguise, and saw a young red wolf with silver bracelets around one of his ankles. But this Toboe looked at him in an unfamiliar fashion. His eyes glared at him, and his mouth curled up in a snarl.

Shiroi limped towards Toboe slowly. "Toboe...? I can't believe it's you..."

Toboe looked behind Shiroi, then shouted, "Lyra, now!"

Before Shiroi could turn around, someone leaped at him and jabbed something into his side. He let out a cry as he felt his body, as if on fire and he fell onto the floor writhing and twitching. His body no longer responded to him, and he looked up at Toboe and the young female, holding a taser, standing beside him.

"Damn Jaguara's wolves" Toboe spat at him. Shiroi never felt Toboe this hostile before as the red wolf leaned in with his fangs bared. Shiroi could tell Toboe did not remember him, as whatever happened was in the past.

"Toboe...please" Shiroi begged, his crystalline eyes looking at Toboe. "It's me..." Toboe ignored him.

"Lyra, let's take him inside. We have to take him alive so we can question him."

The female called Lyra nodded her head. She gripped the taser and held it up to Shiroi's head. Shiroi felt a blinding sensation of pain and his vision blurred. His eyes turned egg-white as his head hit the ground, and his body stopped writhing. Toboe gripped the unconscious Shiroi by the scruff, and began dragging him into the basement.

* * *

Three figures were walking down the streets when a crowd of angry people rushed by them. One of the citizens bumped into the figure with a black trench coat, wearing a fedora which covered his blonde, flowing hair. Blue eyes glared at the person who dared interrupt his train of thoughts, leaving the poor man running away in a scamper.

"Watch where the hell you're going!" he growled at the scampering figure.

"Shush, you're going to get us noticed" the other figure, who wore a jacket with a hood made of sheepskin. He had glasses which fit snugly around the rim of his nose. His brown eyes assaulted the other figure's in a fatherly manner.

"Damn people these days, Joey. I swear if I didn't have to keep this disguise on..."

"Aatu, you know it as well as we do. You take that disguise off and you're probably going to be shot dead" the other figure replied.

Aatu sighed. "I know. I'm not stupid enough to take it off, Fogul. I just don't understand why they're so afraid."

Aatu looked at Fogul, who had red hair and brown eyes, similar to Joey. Although they were brothers, they hardly seemed alike. Joey looked more like a bookworm with his glasses on, while Fogul looked more like an athlete. He wore a red jacket that slid down from his arms, exposing his neck and shoulder-blades. He popped a lollipop in his mouth as he looked at Aatu.

Although they were different species, them being humans and he was a wolf, they cared about each other like family. What Aatu doesn't know is that Joey and Fogul's family were killed by wolves. Wolves the color of snow, and he couldn't take the image out of his mind of when his mother was killed right in front of him. It was snowing that day, but when Joey and Fogul came back from collecting firewood for the fireplace, all they could see were the bodies of their family and their blood leaking onto the snow. They saw the moving figures of animals, but they couldn't tell what animals they were. It was not until Fogul caught a glimpse of them, from the reflection of the moon shining on them, that he figured out that they were wolves. White wolves, to be exact.

Aatu sniffing the air broke Fogul's chain of thought. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Aatu sniffed the air one more time. "There's...a scent that I'm unfamiliar with. I think...another wolf? No, there's two of them."

"That would explain why there was an angry mob a second go," Joey added in.

"I smell blood" Aatu said, his eyes closed as he sniffed the air. "There's the scent of flowers..."

Joey reached inside his jacket, gripping a pistol and clenching the handle. Fogul reached inside his jacket and withdrew a pair of brass knuckles.

_If there were wolves this close, then that must __those other wolves must be coming_ Fogul thought

"Where are they?" Fogul asked Aatu. Instead of responding, Aatu broke into a sprint.

"Aatu! Wait up!" Joey shouted at him. Aatu seemed to have forgotten that they were just human, since he jumped up the walls of nearby buildings and following the scent. The form of a black wolf could be seen from where they were standing. A black wolf with specks of white around his tail,paws and ears.

"He's going to get himself killed" Joey sighed.

"Always letting instincts get a hold of him" Fogul agreed. "What an idiot, he even dropped his disguise."

"Guess we're following him then" Joey said, pulling out the pistol that he had in his holster.

Fogul put on his brass knuckles, then put his hands in his pants to conceal them. "It's what big brothers do though, right?"

They smiled at each other as they ran towards the leaping wolf figure in the sky.

**Thanks to Johnwolf234 for letting me use three of his characters. If you haven't read his stories yet, Aatu is a character within his stories that he graciously allowed me to use in my story.**


	4. Chapter 3

_A forest fire started it all. I remembered as I ran through the woods, running as fast as my paws can take me. I heard the howls and cries in the air as I leaped over the trunks of nearby fallen trees. It was dark that night, very dark. I could barely see anything except the fire that surrounded where my pack was. The moon illuminated my path, always as if it was telling me to hurry. I shut my eyes and prayed that my family was okay._

_ I reached the area where my pack took refuge, and I saw a scene of massacre and carnage. I saw bodies of my pack members, scattered about with their throats torn out. Some pack members were still fighting, and it took a while for my eyes to register that they were fighting wolves. Wolves with the color of the moon, but they were not sent by the moon. Rather, they were sent by the devil himself. Eyes filled with rage and fur bristling, they attacked anyone in sight. Their muzzles drenched in blood, how could something so majestic be so vicious? White wolves were supposed to be calm and kind, we thought that since they had the color of the moon as their fur. I heard a cry coming from within the battle, and my heart skipped a beat._

_ Rain! I thought as I ran towards the cry. Please, please be okay._

_ I ran into two of the wolves, but that didn't stop me. With a ferocity I had not known before, I gripped their throats and sunk my fangs in. I felt their blood flowing into my mouth, but their blood tasted disgusting. Almost as if the blood was poisoned or something._

_ I reached my sister. She laid cowering behind my parents, who were fending off several of the attacker. She shut her eyes in fear, and she was whimpering. I saw my parents had several wounds over their bodies, and their thick grey coat were coated with blood._

_ "Dad! Mom!" I shouted, running over to assist them._

_ "No, Hail!" My dad yelled at me. "Take Rain and go! There's too many of them!"_

_ I looked around, seeing the destruction before my eyes. There were so many wolves...surrounding their camp. More than he could count._

_ "I can't just leave you!" I shouted as I went over to them. My dad picked Rain up by the scruff and laid her next to me._

_ "I'll fight with you! Even if I die!" I screamed and shut my eyes. I felt my mother's warm tongue lick my cheeks and head._

_ "You're very brave, Hail. But who would protect Rain if you died?" she said warmly. She licked Rain's head as well, and Rain opened her eyes and nuzzled her cheeks with their mother's._

_ "Go now" she said to us. My father turned around and fixed me with an acknowledging stare._

_ "Survive, my children. Maybe there's a Paradise out there for you guys, but for us...Our Paradise is us dying knowing that you made it out alive" he said, his voice filled with pain from the wounds, and pain from inside knowing that he won't be there to make sure his children grow up healthy._

_ With tears flowing from my eyes, I grabbed Rain's scruff with all my might and sprinted down a nearby hill. I remembered her shouting and screaming and crying, and I remembered the howls of my parents and my pack. Then, at last, all was silent. _

_My mother once told me that if one follows in the shadow of the wolf, they'll find Paradise. If one follows in the light of the wolf, they'll unlock Paradise. _

_ We hid in a nearby ditch, until I was sure the wolves had gone away. Then I threw my head back and howled. I howled until my throat was harsh and I could no longer speak. The tears kept flowing down my eyes and dripping onto the ground. Rain howled with me. It was a Requiem for our lost pack members, my family and our past lives. It was then I decided to protect the last remaining member of my pack. My only sibling and my twin; Rain._

"Hail?" Rain said as they pushed opened the door of the shelter they were hiding in. "What's wrong?"

Hail shook his head. "Nothing, just thinking of Paradise and what it's like."

"I believe it's something beautiful" Rain said, her tail up in a hopeful manner. Her eyes were filled with excitement.

"Yeah... I hope so."

* * *

_Shiroi..._

_Shiroi... wake up._

Cheza?

_Shiroi...find this one._

Where are you?

_In this city...hurry._

Wait...Cheza!

_Something is going to happen..._

Shiroi's eyes opened, and he groaned. He had an excruciating headache, and his body felt like it was hit by a truck. He couldn't move any of his limbs, and the bullets that were shot at him were still in him. Around his neck was a heavy chain, several inches long attached to a steel bolt on the floor. Not that whoever did this to him needed to do that, he couldn't move anyways. He tried mending his wounds, but he didn't have enough energy. He tried remembering what happened, and the only thing he remembered was Toboe's face, then pain in his side. There was a girl beside Toboe, he remembered that before his vision blurred and he fell into darkness. He noticed he was in a room somewhere, or a basement. The cold floor confirmed this. His vision was still blurry from the attack, and his hind leg was twisted as a result of the bullet shot. He strained his ears to listen for anything.

"He knew my name..." a voice said faintly. Shiroi guessed it was Toboe's voice.

"Do you know him?" another voice asked, a female.

"No, he's one of Jaguara's dogs though" Toboe replied.

_Jaguara's dogs? I don't have anything to do with her!_

"He's a white wolf. Don't you remember what they did to us?"

Then silence.

The door was kicked opened as Toboe and the girl, Lyra, walked in. The sudden change in brightness caused Shiroi to squint, not like he could see anything anyways. His head was still throbbing from where the taser made contact with his head. Toboe padded next to Shiroi and fixed him with a cold stare, Lyra had a gun in her hands probably threatening him to try something and see the consequence of it.

"Who are you?" Toboe hissed at Shiroi. Shiroi cringed at the harshness in Toboe's voice, it was a complete contrast to the Toboe he used to know. "How do you know my name?"

"Toboe" Shiroi whispered weakly. "It's me...Hikaru."

"I don't know anyone by that name. Next question, why are you siding with the nobles?" Toboe asked bluntly.

"I'm...not" Shiroi coughed feebly. He suddenly felt his chain around his neck being yanked up, and he was forced to raise his head to face Toboe in the eye. He gasped for air as the chain was suffocating him.

"Don't bullshit me" Toboe snarled at him. "Your kind killed my family in cold blood. _In cold blood_" he repeated those words.

"Not...Lying..." Shiroi managed to wheeze out. He stared at Toboe with his crystalline eyes, hoping to bring some of his memories back up, but he couldn't. He felt the chain around his neck relax, and he fell to the ground gasping for breath.

"Okay, I'm going to be lenient here. What is Jaguara offering you to kill your own kind?"

"I'm... not...with...Jaguara" Shiroi voice's cracked as he said the words. Toboe leaned in and snarled in Shiroi's face.

"He's not answering my questions" Toboe said as he turned to Lyra. "The townspeople are probably looking for him, and when they do find him, they'll mutilate him. Even if he is a disgusting wolf that works under the nobles, I think he deserves better than that."

He took one look back at Shiroi, then turned to Lyra. "Shoot him, Lyra."

Shiroi's gaze landed on Lyra as he heard the words. _Does Toboe really want me dead that much?_

But Lyra stood frozen in her place. "S-shoot him? Toboe, you know I never fired a gun before!"

Toboe looked at her in the eye. "Remember what his kind did to our family Lyra! Remember how they tore your parents' throats out!"

Lyra gasped and held the quivering gun. "T-Toboe...I think he's telling the truth."

"No!" Toboe shouted. "White wolves are an omen of death and disaster! Shoot him now!"

"I-I can't!" she stammered as she dropped the gun and fell to her knees. For some reason, she couldn't shoot the very thing that killed her family.

"Fine, if you won't do it. I'll do it" Toboe hissed as he walked over to Shiroi. He bared his fangs and gripped Shiroi's throat with them. Shiroi gasped as he felt the pressure around his neck tighten and tighten. Toboe was actually trying to kill him.

_Am...I going to die...without meeting...my...brother...again?_

Dark spots began appearing before his eyes, his body began trembling.

The door to the basement was knocked aside and Toboe loosened his grip on Shiroi's throat. Another wolf, jet black fur with tints of white markings the edges of his ears,tail and paws stood in the doorway.

"I thought I smelled other wolves in the city, and I was right when I smelled blood" he said, surveying the cold basement. His blue eyes landed on Shiroi's body, with bullet marks and wounds all over his white coat.

"What the hell is going on here?" he shouted.

"None of your business" snarled Toboe. "Now get out before I rip your throat apart too."

Aatu's eyes suddenly filled with anger as he glimpsed the chain around Shiroi's neck. "Trying to gang up on a defenseless wolf with a human, is that how it is?" he asked, eying Lyra who was crying on the floor.

"Defenseless?" he snorted. "You don't even know what his kind has done."

"His kind? All I see here is a wounded wolf who's half dead?" snarled Aatu. "If there's one thing that pisses me off, it's animals like you taking advantage of the weak"

Toboe's lips curled up in a snarl and his ears flattened against his skull. "Taking advantage of the weak? _You don't even understand our pain"_ he screamed as he leaped at Aatu. Aatu leaped at Toboe as well, with fangs and claws flashing, wolf blood was spilled on the ground.

* * *

Kurai stopped abruptly with Rain and Hail trailing behind him. He felt something in the air...No, in his heart.

_Shiroi? _he thought.

* * *

Deep inside the lab in Freeze City, the eyes of the Flower Maiden began to open.

"We have a response from Cheza" a young female with blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing a lab coat and glasses said to her colleagues.

* * *

Shiroi wanted to get up, and end this pointless fighting before someone go hurt, or even worst, killed. He tried getting to his feet, but his lack of strength and the chain around his neck prevented him from doing so. He opened his mouth and tried to tell them to stop, but all that came out was a hoarse whisper.

Toboe managed to pin Aatu down, though Aatu got a few bites and scratches off. The red wolf was surprised at how a wolf around his age was able to put up such a ferocious fighting spirit. Aatu didn't stop while he was pinned down onto the floor. Snarling and snapping, he threw his head around, trying to get a bite at Toboe. Growling, Toboe dug his claws into Aatu's shoulder and Aatu let out a screech of agony. Suddenly, they heard the sound of a pistol being cocked.

Two humans were standing at the entrance of the basement. One was red haired, and the other was black haired. Both had brown eyes, one of them wore glasses. The one with the glasses stepped forward with his pistol aimed at Toboe."

"Now, you have two seconds to _get the fuck_-" he emphasized the word _fuck_ with a grit of his teeth. "Off him."

Toboe snarled at the two figures, before a bullet drilled a hole right next to his leg. He reluctantly stepped off Aatu, as Aatu rolled to his feet. He walked to where the two figures with his head low.

"I had him, Joey." he said, growling a bit.

"Oh yeah, you definitely had him" Fogul responded sarcastically.

"What the hell is going on here?" Joey asked.

"This wolf here, I don't know what his problem is. He was trying to kill that other wolf for no reason. Even if he had a response, it's a stupid one."

"What wolf?" Joey asked, his gaze looking around.

"That one over there" Aatu said, motioning with his ears to where Shiroi laid. The two brothers followed his gaze, and when they saw the wolf lying on the ground, Joey literally aimed his pistol at it.

"Fucking kill it, Joey" Fogul shouted at his brother.

"Wait, what? What are you guys doing?" Aatu asked as he looked at them. He saw Joey approaching Shiroi slowly, gun raised and sweat forming on his brows.

"Joey, what the hell?" he moved forward and blocked Joey's path.

"Out of the way, Aatu" came the command.

"Why? He didn't do anything to you!" Aatu shouted.

"Did you know? Wolves with white fur killed our family. That wolf over there took part of in our family's murder" Fogul shouted loudly. Toboe's ears twitched as he heard this. Perhaps these people weren't so different after all.

Joey pushed Aatu out of the way with his legs, and made his way to Shiroi, holding the gun in his hand. He was quivering, though. Sweat ran across his palms, and he took heavy breaths as he remembered how their family were killed that night. He approached Shiroi, aiming the gun at his head. He looked down and saw the crumpled form of an adversary which he sought after all his life.

"This isn't fair" Aatu shouted at both of them.

"Hell no, it's not fair. How they had hundred of their kind come after us, but only two of us going after them. At least we found an easy one to put down" Fogul replied without emotion.

"How do you know he was part of it? He's defenseless and look at his wounds!" He ran in front of Joey, in front of the gun. "You're killing someone who potentially didn't do anything in the first place!"

"No, white wolves are not to be trusted. They shouldn't be alive in the first place. Look at all the misfortune they've brought, Aatu. Look!"

Aatu refused to budge from his spot. "Wolves killed your family" he said sympathetically. "I'm a wolf, does that mean you'll kill me too later on?"

Fogul and Joey looked at each other. "Aatu, we would never...-"

"But you're killing this wolf here, who has done nothing to you" he sighed deeply. "You guys were the one who taught me that the strong should help the weak. If you do this, then I don't know what to think anymore. Everything you've told me would be a lie."

Joey looked at Aatu for a bit, and Fogul punched the walls of the basement with his knuckles. The impact was so great that there was a dent in the walls, and his knuckles began bleeding. Joey put his gun away, looked away and sighed.

Suddenly, Lyra who was still on the ground spoke up. Her voice trembled.

"Blue...eyes..." she whispered.

Everyone turned to look at her, including Toboe. "What do you mean, Lyra?" Toboe asked.

"The wolf...had blue eyes..."

Joey,Fogul and Lyra all knew that Jaguara's wolves had eyes filled with blood lust. They were red with rage, unable to see any reason. As if on cue, Shiroi began opening his eyes slowly, staring at them. Joey and Fogul looked into Shiroi's eyes and found kindness and warmth in them, rather than the fear they've experienced when fleeing from the other wolves. Lyra silently took off the chain around Shiroi's neck.

"So he's not part of Jaguara's wolves?" Toboe asked, staggering a bit, noticing he almost killed an innocent wolf in cold blood. He walked over to where Shiroi laid and began licking his wounds. When Shiroi raised his head warily to look at him, Toboe looked him in the eye.

"Sorry..." he whispered quietly. Aatu,Fogul and Joey walked towards them, settling beside Shiroi.

"What's your name?" Joey asked Lyra.

"Lyra..." she whispered, looking away and blushing a bit.

"A cute girl shouldn't cry" Fogul said, wiping a tear off her face. She blushed even more.

Shiroi looked at Aatu gratefully. "Thank you," he whispered.

Aatu gave a wolfish grin. "My name is Aatu, what's yours?"

"Shiroi"

"So, what is this with Jaguara and your kind?" asked Joey.

Shiroi fixed Joey with a confused gaze. "I'm not sure..."

"You're the only white wolf we've met so far who isn't part of Jaguara's wolves" Fogul added in.

"I don't remember...I've been asleep...for a long time" Shiroi responded. He attempted to rise, standing on trembling legs. It was only then did he notice it was nighttime, and the moon's light reflected through the rooftop window, revealing his markings to everyone. He took one step before threatening to collapse back then.

"You need to rest" Toboe said, padding next to Shiroi and supporting him with his shoulder.

"I need to find...my brother" Shiroi said.

"Brother?" echoed Joey and Fogul.

"Why? What are you going to do after you find him?" asked Aatu curiously.

Shiroi stopped in his tracks. Although he felt weak and sapped of energy, he could still do one thing. He threw his head back and howled. His eyes flashed for a bit and so did his markings. The wounds on Toboe and Aatu started mending themselves back together, and they felt warmth all around. Some of Shiroi's wounds also healed, but he still staggered.

"Woah, what the...?" Aatu started. He looked at Shiroi in puzzlement. "Just what are you, exactly?"

Shiroi ignored his question. "There's something...blocking me" he said. "Siphoning my energy..."

"It's the moonstones" Joey replied. "They've set up reactors in the city which emit a sort of barrier to deflect the moon's rays. They're trying to weed out the wolves."

"I need to find my brother..." Shiroi said as he stumbled out of he basement.

"You're half dead" Fogul said as they followed him out.

" I need to find him...to find Cheza... to find Paradise"

The word Paradise stopped Toboe cold in his tracks. "Paradise...?" he whispered. "Cheza...?" There was something there that he couldn't remember.

"Paradise, huh?" Aatu said. "My instincts were always telling me to find such a place..." He took a deep breath. "I'll help you find your brother."

Joey and Fogul looked at him, then they said "Us too."

"Really?" Aatu turned around to face them. "Why?"

Fogul chuckled. "You meat brain, we're a family. We have to stick together."

Aatu tackled them playfully. "Yeah, we're a family."

"I'll come with you too" Toboe said. "I think that if I follow you, I'll be able to remember something..."

Toboe felt a tug on his fur. He turned around to see Lyra facing them.

"Uhm...I would like to come too. I don't have any other places to go..."

Shiroi faced them. "It's going to be a tough journey..."

"I was getting sick of this town anyways" Joey chimed in.

Shiroi huffed and flicked his ears towards the giant castle in the middle of the city. "We have to find Cheza first, the Flower Maiden. She's up there."

With that, he started off towards the castle. Although, Shiroi didn't know how long he could sustain this. Him being out of energy and each step was clearly a heavy toll on his body. The wounds he had before were still visible on his body, although Toboe got the bullets out, he didn't know how long his ragged body could go on for.

**A/N: Sorry if I focused too much on Shiroi in the first few chapters. I promise I'll start focusing on Kurai's point of view later on. **


	5. Chapter 4

"Geez, you'd think that with the technological development that the humans have gone through, their streets would be cleaner than this" Hail grumbled as he knocked a can out of the way. It was evening and the gang had decided to get a good night's sleep before beginning their journey. Kurai's shape was no better than yesterday's though, and Rain was worried about that.

"What's wrong with him?" Rain asked Hail.

"What do you mean?" Hail replied, flicking his ears in question.

"I mean, he slept all day yesterday but yet he still looks horrible."

Hail looked over at Kurai, slouching and staggering as he pushed the door open with his nose. His blue eyes looked up into the sky, embracing the new day's warmth. But the way he panted with every breath he took deeply worried Rain.

"I don't know...I mean the barrier is up and all, but we're fine. Perhaps it has a greater effect on him than us" Hail concluded.

"The faster we get out of the city, the better" Rain growled in agreement. They noticed Kurai staying in the shadows which the buildings had created.

"What's up?" Hail asked him. Kurai rolled his eyes and stared at the two wolves, well they weren't wolves anymore.

Rain was a human with long flowing silver hair, and her light grey eyes dimmed against the sun's light. Her mocha skin contrasted her silver hair. She had a jacket on which concealed most of her face as she stared at Kurai.

Hail, on the other hand, was a slim teenager. Wearing blue jeans and black sneakers, his slim figure was disguised by the black hoodie that he wore. His raven-like hair reached his waist, and he wore a red and green scarf. He stared at Kurai with icy-blue eyes.

Kurai mumbled something that was inaudible.

"What are you doing? We're supposed to be leaving" Rain said to him.

He mumbled something again, something about _human disguise._

Rain's eyes widened with surprise. "You don't have a disguise?" Her face contorted with the struggle to contain her laughter. "What kind of wolf doesn't have a disguise?"

"I never needed one" Kurai replied flatly.

"Hmm..." Hail spoke up. "That's going to be a bit of trouble. We can't have you wandering around like this, people are going to freak out."

"Well...I can just-" Kurai broke off, trying to jump over the building. He couldn't get one jump off before he crashed back onto the ground.

"Oh, god. Are you okay?" Rain asked, running to where Kurai landed.

Kurai growled as he struggled to get up. "I...feel weak..." he whispered.

"We have to get out of this city" Hail announced. He looked around a bit, trying to find some sort of solution. His eyes laid on a broken off leash that laid nearby. He smiled a bit, walking over to it and picking it up. He held the leash in his mouth for Kurai to see, and Rain nearly died from laughter when she saw it.

"You got to be kidding me..." was all Kurai said.

* * *

A figure's silhouette dashed through the forest. A clanging of chain was heard as the figure ran through the veil of trees. Shouting could be heard behind it.

"Get her!" a voice yelled.

"Damn wolf! Who forgot to lock her up?" another shouted.

The figure's chest rose in rapid breaths. When the voices began to disappear one by one, only then she stopped. She stopped and the sun shone on her fur, revealing her appearance. A white blonde wolf, fur dirtied by mud and broken pieces of twigs from the trees, stood in the clearing. Her white belly rumbled with hunger and she looked skinny. Her bones were protruding from her stomach, revealing that she hasn't eaten in days or weeks. Although she was light blonde, her feet were black, as well as her muzzle being black, fading into light blonde. Her tail was also dyed in black, as well as some of the fur on her back. There was a piece of chain hanging around her neck, and some chains dangling off her legs. Her dark blue eyes looked towards the sun, and for the first time in six years, her eyes softened. She sat down and began licking her wounds, starting with the scar that was given to her by her father on her hind leg. She had another scar on her muzzle, as well as one right above her right front paw.

They bled, but she did not whimper or whine. This amount of pain was nothing compared to the pain she felt when she had to kill that wolf. The wolf who had given her these scars.

Lying down on the mossy green forest grass, she tucked her paws underneath her head. She gazed at the sun, embracing its warmth.

"_Freedom..." _she whispered before falling asleep.

* * *

"We're going to split up into two groups" Joey instructed them. "We're not going to be able to sneak in as humans, but you wolves might be able to. We'll distract them and try to get them to lower their security while you guys sneak in from the back."

The group was standing in an alleyway that was situated slightly away from the castle. Cheza's scent was emitting from the castle, but also another scent.

"Remember that the reactor will start siphoning your energy the closer you get to it. Once inside, you will probably lose your disguises so you will need to work fast" Fogul added in.

"Where are we going to meet after?" Aatu asked.

"We'll meet at the outskirts of the city. There's an old abandoned farm around somewhere, use your nose and it'll lead you to us. After you've found whoever you're looking for, howl and it'll signal us to start moving out" Joey said.

"How about Shiroi?" Toboe asked. All eyes turned to look at the white wolf, who's heavy breathing and constant panting revealed the fatigue in his eyes. "He's not going to last long."

"Should we take him with us?" Lyra asked.

"No" Shiroi whispered. "I'll go in, don't worry about me."

"But...you're injured!" Toboe added in, flinching guilty at what he did to him.

"It'll be fine... Once we get out, I'll start recovering."

"Okay, we'll begin at midnight. The sooner we find this person, the better" Fogul said, turning away from the group.

"I just don't hope it kills us in the process" he whispered.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this" Kurai mumbled underneath his breath. Around his neck was a collar and Hail and Rain were in their human disguises. Rain was clutching the leash in her left hand. Everyone around them were staring at the huge wolf walking around in broad daylight. Kurai could see that in their wolf disguises, Rain was holding the leash in her mouth.

"Is this really necessary..." Kurai groaned. "So demeaning..."

"We have to do this" Rain said, jerked to a halt and tugging the leash. "They'll kill you if they find out what you are."

"The faster we get out of the town, the better" Kurai mumbled again before scoffing his paws around on the ground.

"Shh, stop talking" Hail hissed. "We're getting closer to the border and we don't want them to hear you talking. Let us do the talking."

"What's that thing they're using?" Rain asked, pointing to an object a nearby soldier was holding. They were getting closer to the border, and several soldiers were situated near the gate which was several feet up. One soldier was waving the object around the old man, which made a soft beeping sound. The light on the object turned green and the man continued walking.

"Ugh..." Kurai whispered as they walked closer. Suddenly he stopped, breaths coming in heavy rasp. His head was bowed with the effort to keep standing.

"What is it?" Rain asked worriedly.

"Something..." he whispered. Hail looked at the object and realized with a look of horror on his face.

"Oh shit" he whispered to Rain.

"What?" Rain asked again, eyebrows starting to furrow.

Suddenly, a large beeping sound caught their attention as they looked towards the source. An adult, who was being scanned made a break for the gate. It was a male, and as he broke away from the soldiers, he was gunned down. His human disguise dissolved, and a grey wolf laid in a puddle of its own blood. It was twitching, and its eyes were flickering around wildly. One of the soldier walked next to it and aimed its pistol at its head, and fired. A female screamed, and a child started sobbing. The soldiers began moving the body away.

"What are we doing to do?" Rain whispered after a while.

"Make a run for it" Kurai panted.

"Are you insane? They'll kill us!" Hail hissed.

"No, I'll do something. It'll keep them occupied for a second, but we have to move fast" Kurai said.

Rain and Hail looked at him skeptically. Kurai eyed them

"Trust me, please" he pleaded.

Rain and Hail both sighed and nodded. They started walking slowly over to where the soldiers were, waiting in line. Once it was their turn, Rain looked over to Hail nervously. Hail tightened his grip around Rain's hands.

"Where are you folks headed?" one of the soldiers asked, and his husk voice coming out of his helmet.

"Oh nowhere...just wanted to take a little walk and get some fresh air" Hail said, eying Rain.

"Is this your girlfriend?" The solder asked, peering and looking at Rain. Rain blushed and looked away.

"She's my sister" Hail said in an almost growl-like voice.

The man's eyebrows raised and he looked at Kurai whose markings caught his eyes.

"Is that your dog?"

"Yes" Hail responded icily.

"Awfully big for a dog" The man said, leaning down and inspecting Kurai. Kurai, knowing exactly what to do, lowered his eyes and tail and whimpered.

The man stood up, and motioned for them to follow.

"We'll have to scan you first. Wolves these days, thinking that their disguises will help them survive in this city" The man said, shaking his head. "Soon the reactor will bring them all into the light, and we'll be able to hunt them down..."

Rain looked at Hail in a panic.

"You first mam" The soldier pointed to Rain. Rain nervously stepped forward, hands clutched to her chest. Her eyes flickered around wildly, and her breaths were coming in rapidity. Kurai growled, catching all of their attention.

Kurai's eyes flashed for a moment and his markings started glowing dimly. Everyone around them froze for a moment, and stopped moving.

"Now!" Kurai shouted as he bit off his leash. Rain,Hail and Kurai all made a break for the gate while all the soldiers stood watching in a frozen state. Suddenly, their heads snapped up, and they realized what was gong on. Rifles and pistols were raised into the air, firing at the three figures running on four legs towards the gate. Bullets flew past through bodies, and their chests were heaving with the effort to sustain their frenzied rush. Hail was in the lead, followed by Rain and Kurai loping behind slightly. Kurai turned his head and caught a glimpse of the barrel of a gun going off. His eyes followed the trajectory of the bullet, and saw it was heading for Rain.

"Rain!" Kurai shouted. Rain's ears perked up and she turned her head in a questioning gesture. They were almost through the gate, just a couple of seconds more and they would be out of the city. But the bullet was flying towards her with such an incredible speed, aimed at her head. Kurai sped up, and tackled Rain through the gates.

"Close the gates!" One of the soldiers shouted.

Rain rolled snout first into the ground, before getting up dazed. "Kurai?" she asked with a puzzled look. She looked at the black wolf who just tackled her, and she watched the bullet fly right into his stomach.

"Kurai!" she cried.

Kurai growled as pain as he felt the bullet lodge itself into his stomach, but he continued running. The gates were starting to close, and he heard another gunshot, and another pang of pain on his side. He coughed blood up, but with his remaining strength he threw himself through the gate just as it closed. He heard the soldiers banging on the gates, and he heard Rain's voice shouting at him. He laid on his side, sides heaving with the effort to breath, especially with two bullets in him. He gasped for air, before coughing up more blood.

"Kurai!" Rain whimpered. "Oh god, why?"

"We can't stay here" Hail commanded. "They're going to track us down."

"What are we going to do Hail?" Rain cried. Hail walked over to where Kurai laid, and slipped the black wolf over his back. All four of Kurai's legs were lifted off the ground. Kurai flinched, not used to physical contact before. But his consciousness was starting to fade, he never expected small bullet wounds to injure him this badly. He growled softly, before his eyes closed with exhaustion.

"Is he going to be okay?" Rain sniffed, realizing that Kurai protecting her was what got him hurt in the first place. She saw the blood dripping from Kurai's wounds and onto Hail's coat, then onto the ground.

"He will be, he won't die that easily. We need to find a place to hide though, it's not safe here" Hail said as he bounded off. Rain followed closely behind him. In the shadows of the forest, another figure stood watching the whole ordeal. The figure's black muzzle lifted up into the air, trying to take in the scents of the new wolves. After what seemed to be an eternity, the figure walked off with the sounds of chains scraping the earth's floor.

* * *

Shiroi looked at Aatu, who laid with his head on his paws, with tired eyes. He didn't want to bring this topic up, but there was something different about the young canine's scent.

"You're not a purebred... are you?" Shiroi asked Aatu, who shifted his paws uncomfortably. Blue eyes met blue eyes as Aatu shook his head in a sad notion.

"I'm half dog, I think that my father was a dog and my mother was a wolf, but I'm not sure. Joey and Fogul found me when I was just a pup, and I never suspected that I was part wolf until a few years ago."

"I had a friend who was a part wolf and part dog" Shiroi sympathized. "It won't make us treat you any different."

Aatu nodded his head, and smiled a bit before tucking his paws under his head and resting again.

"How did you three meet?" Shiroi asked. Aatu's ears perked up as he heard the question. "Sorry, I'm curious."

Fogul and Joey, overhearing their conversation walked over and each of them took a place beside Aatu.

"Well..." Fogul said.

"It's a long story" Joey finished.

** Sorry for the late release, it took me a while to write this as I wrote a bit everyday. If you still have character requests, I'd love to take them. Thanks for reading, don't forget to leave a review!  
**


	6. Chapter 5

_ Two kids were walking through the forest after collecting firewood for their house. The older child, clutching an armful of firewood while the other held small pieces of twigs and branches. Both with red hair, laughing as they walked through the forest._

_ "Joey, what do you think Dad's going to say when he sees all of this?" the younger child asked._

_ "He's going to be so proud!" Joey exclaimed. Joey looked at his younger brother, Fogul. His brown eyes big and wide, almost as wide as his smile. He skipped happily along the forest's floor, moving ahead of Joey._

_ "Wait Fogul! Don't go too far off!" Joey shouted. Suddenly, Fogul stopped and stared wide-eyed in front of him. Joey caught up to him, looking at him worriedly.  
_

_ "Fogul? What's the matter?" Joey asked, nudging his younger brother with his shoulder._

_ Fogul pointed off into the distance. "Our house..." he whispered. "Mommy! Daddy!" he suddenly screamed, dropping the twigs and branches in his arms and running off._

_ Joey followed his line of sight, and saw that their house was on fire. He dropped the firewood he was holding, and ran after Fogul._

_ "Fogul, wait!" he shouted as he ran as fast as he could. Fogul was fast, however, his tiny feet covered great distance as he ran towards the house that was engulfed in flames. As he neared the house, a sudden explosion blasted him back and he cried out as his back hit the ground. Joey reached him and pulled him up._

_ "Mommy! Daddy!" Fogul wailed into the air. Joey was crying too, not understanding how this could all happen. Joey's eyes took in the scenery, flames and engulfed their house, windows shattered and blood stains all everywhere. He screamed out.  
_

_ "Fogul? Joey?" a voice shouted from behind them. They turned around and saw that their father, a forty five year old man, walking up to them with a shotgun in his hand. He wore an old cowboy hat, a memento of his earlier days._

_ "Oh my god, I'm so glad you two are okay" he shouted as he ran towards them and pulled them into a hug._

_ "Daddy!" Fogul sobbed. "I was so scared..."_

_ Joey pulled away from his father. "Where's mom, dad?"_

_ Their father looked away for a moment. "Your mother...she's not here anymore..."_

_ Fogul's eyes widened. "What do you mean daddy? Do you mean she went to a safe place to hide?"_

_ Their father nodded slowly. "Yes...your mother is in a safe place now..."_

_ Fogul wiped his eyes and smiled, not understanding what his father really meant. Joey clenched his fist as tears flowed from his eyes._

_ "Listen boys, it's not safe here anymore. We have to leave..."_

_ "What do you mean?" Joey asked, then cut short when he heard growls and snarls from behind their burning house. Wolves started walking out, eyes that were red glowered at them as saliva dripped from their jaws. It was then that Joey and Fogul realized that they were white wolves._

_ Fogul screamed and hugged his dad. Joey gripped his dad's hands._

_ "Joey, Fogul... You two have to get out of here."_

_ "But daddy, you're coming with us right?" Fogul sniffed, still holding onto his father. Their father looked at them for a bit with sadness in his eyes._

_ "Yes...I'll be coming with you. You two go ahead first and I'll find you" he said, smiling at them. He nodded at Joey. "Keep him safe, please."_

_ Joey nodded his head, tears streaming from his eyes and onto his cheek. He gripped Fogul's hand, and ran, he looked back once to see his dad cocking the gun and firing into the wolves. There were yelps of pain, snarls, growls and the snapping of teeth. They ran, and ran...then they hid behind a tree until nightfall._

_ Fogul sniffed. "Where's daddy, Joey?"_

_ Joey shook his head._

_ "Daddy said he'll find us... Is daddy coming?" Fogul asked._

_ Joey looked at his younger brother. "Daddy's...not here anymore" he said with his voice shaking._

_ "What do you mean? Do you mean he went and stayed with mommy?" Fogul asked._

_ Joey nodded his head. "We can't see them anymore, Fogul."_

_ "Why?" Fogul cried. "Why can't we see them?"_

_ "They're in a safe place that we can't get to" Joey explained._

_ "But I want to see them! I want to!" Fogul screamed and cried. Joey brought Fogul into his arms and hugged him. They both laid there, sobbing. Eventually, Fogul cried himself to sleep, but Joey stayed awake. He took off his jacket, the red jacket that his mother made him for his birthday, and covered Fogul with it._

* * *

_ When Fogul woke up the next time, he saw that Joey had built a fire. Joey was always the smart one, always so level headed and calm under situations._

_ "Let's go back" Joey said._

_ "Where?" Fogul asked._

_"We have to go back to the house to get some things"_

_ "I don't want to go back!" Fogul cried, memories of last night filling his head._

_ "Shh, it's okay" Joey said. "They're gone now."_

_ "Really?" Fogul asked._

_" I promise" Joey replied, then holding Fogul's hand, they set off. As they neared their house, the putrid scent of decaying bodies, blood, and the still lingering smell of smoke filled their noses._

_ "Wait here" Joey said, and he walked towards their charred house. Their house was a two story house, not that big but enough to support his family. He went into his dad's room, and took his wallet. He stuffed it in his pocket and grabbed some coats and jackets for Fogul and himself. He grabbed a brown bag and filled t with food. As he prepared to leave the house, he stepped on something. He looked down, and saw his mother. Her eyes were closed, but her throat was ripped out. Blood stained the floor she was laying on, but yet she looked so peaceful. Joey gagged and sobbed. He covered his mouth and ran outside the house._

_ "What's wrong?" Fogul asked as he walked over to Joey._

_ "Nothing" Joey responded. "We have to leave, now." He gripped Fogul's hand and began walking away from the massacre scene. He had no idea where they were going, hopefully to a town or some sort. They walked through the forest for hours on end, stopping sometimes for breaks to eat and rest. Suddenly, Joey heard something.  
_

_ "Fogul, do you hear that?" he asked his younger brother._

_ "What?" Fogul responded._

_It was like a small cry from somewhere, a whimper._

_ "There it is again" Joey said, standing up and walking over to where the noise was coming from. Fogul scrambled up and walked after Joey. Several leaves and bushes covered their paths, but they swatted them away. When they got closer and closer to the sound, they realized it wasn't a human sound. The sound seemed to be coming from behind a bush, and they peered over it. A small black furry animal with white pigments on its tail, paws and ears, curled in a ball behind the bush. It was whimpering and shaking, and Fogul noticed dirt and multiple wound marks on its coat. He leaned in to get a closer look._

_ "Wait!" hissed Joey._

_ "What? It looks like a dog" Fogul said._

_ "It's not a dog, it's a wolf" Joey tugged on Fogul's jacket. "Those things that attacked our house yesterday. Let's get out of here."_

_ "But...it's just a little puppy" Fogul responded, going back to the small furry animal._

_ "Fogul..." Joey warned as his little brother went and picked up the small ball of fur. The pup stopped whimpering when Fogul picked him up and held him against his chest, his small eyes began to open slowly and stared at Fogul with blue eyes. Its small tongue licked Fogul's chin, causing the younger boy to giggle._

_ "Can we keep him Joey? Can we?" Fogul begged._

_ "I don't even know if we have enough money to feed ourselves..." Joey replied, shaking his head._

_ "Please? Please? " Fogul asked as he walked closer to closer to Joey, holding the pup in front of him. The pup's blue eyes stared at Joey innocently, cocking its head to look at him, almost as if he understood what Fogul was asking._

_ After a while, Joey gave in. "Fine, but I don't know how we can keep it once it grows bigger" Joey sighed._

_ "Yay!" Fogul said, jumping up and down._

_ "What do you want to call it?" Joey asked._

_ Fogul looked at the young puppy in his arms, curled up with its snout tucked into the crook of Fogul's neck._

_ "Let's call him Aatu."_

_Joey looked at the young pup asleep in Fogul's arms, and breathed a sigh. At least...something like this is a sign that things will get better for them.  
_

* * *

"So... how did he react when they learned that you could talk?" Shiroi asked.

Aatu smiled a wolfish smile. "Well-"

"We're starting" Joey cut in. "Lyla's already in position."

"Okay, Toboe?" Shiroi looked at the younger pup.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

Joey and Fogul broke away from the rest of them. They waited in the dark alley, hidden from sight as they watched Lyla tentatively walk towards the castle's gates. Her brown hair covered by a beret, her hands clutched to her chest. The wolves leaned in to hear better.

"U-uh...excuse me" Lyla stuttered to the guards.

"What is it, miss?" one of the guards replied. They were wearing a plate armor, but nothing concealing their faces. The one that replied had a stubby face, and it seems like he hasn't shaved in days.

"I'm being chased..." Lyla whispered to him. "Please help me."

"Chased? By who?" the guard asked.

Joey and Fogul then showed up, walking towards her. Lyla cowered and clutched the guard's arms.

"Sorry, she's our sister. She kind of got lost..." Fogul explained as he walked up to her.

Lyla then gave her best impression of a scream, and the guards immediately stepped forward to meet Fogul. As they did, the three wolves snuck in behind them, and entered the castle without being noticed.

"Don't worry mam, we'll take these people in for questionin-"

The guard never finished his sentence, because Fogul punched him in the face.

* * *

Inside the castle, a masked man with a black robe walked down the halls. Everywhere he walked, the scientists around him started falling over. Once he reached inside the lab, a lady with blue eyes and a lab coat stared at him in horror. He reached her, and cupped her face.

"You must be tired..." he said. One of his eyes, the golden one, flashed and the female scientist fell to the floor. "Sleep." The man directed his attention to the female inside the capsule. The female with red eyes and pink hair. Once their eyes made contact, the female's eyes widened and her mouth opened up in a silent scream.

* * *

Kurai groaned as he groggily lifted his head up. He felt as if he was hit by a car, sent spiraling into a tree, then landed and broke one of his legs. He took a deep breath, and noticed that his energy were no longer being sapped from him. It was dark, and the moon was brimming. His eyes stared at the moon for a while, as his markings began to dimly glow. He winced as he attempted to stand up, the hole that the bullet made near his stomach wasn't healed yet, but at least the bullet was taken out. He heard some steps and he turned his head to catch a glimpse at what was making the sound, and spotted Rain and Hail making their way towards him with a dead rabbit in their jaws.

"You're awake" Hail said, surprised. Kurai nodded. "We didn't know if you were going to make it, the bullets hit one of your vitals..."

Kurai grunted as he sat up, wincing a bit at the stinging pain. "It's going to take a lot more than a few bullets to keep me down" he responded. He noticed Rain looking away to the distance, and he looked back at Hail.

"She's been up all night for a couple of nights, watching over you" he explained. "Thinks that it's all her fault." Kurai's eyes softened at the mention of this. Hail nodded at Kurai before taking his meal to eat by a nearby tree. Kurai limped over to Rain.

"Are you okay?" she asked Kurai as he approached her, eyes averting his.

"Yeah...I feel a lot better now that we're out of the city" Kurai plopped down beside her and began licking his wounded leg. "How long was I out for?"

"Three days" Rain said, and Kurai saw tears in her eyes. "It's all my fault..."

"It's not" Kurai cut her off. "It's not your fault."

"You got shot trying to protect me" she protested.

"Listen..." Kurai whispered to her. "When there's someone that you want to protect, then it's worth getting hurt for." Their eyes met for a brief moment, before Rain returned his statement with a smile.

"How does your brother keep up with you" she giggled. "If you kept jumping in harm's way to protect someone, it's a wonder how you've lived so long."

Kurai grinned. "My brother would have done the same."

Rain's smile started to fade. "When you blocked that bullet for me...it reminded me of my parents. They sacrificed themselves to save us and I-" she broke off.

"I know Hail tries to act tough, and I do sometimes too, but not a day goes by that we don't miss them..."

She took a breath.

"In times like these...I wonder if Paradise really does exist..."

Kurai frowned a bit, before standing up and wincing at the stab of pain. "I'll show you" he said, and the area around them started glowing, gathering silver dust. They were in a flower field, millions of lunar flowers surrounding them. They were warm, protected and safe. For the first time in a long while, Rain felt happy.

A sudden snarl woke them from their vision. Hail's ears were drawn back and his lips were curled up.

"Hail? What's wrong?" Rain asked her brother.

"Hunters, they're around here..." he growled. "A bunch of them too..."

Hail, Rain and Kurai began prowling towards the scent. Peering over a hill, they spotted them. At least seven of them, armed with guns and were in a circular formation around something. Kurai leaned in to see better, and noticed that they were surrounding a white female wolf with figments of black around her paws,muzzle,back and tail. Broken pieces of chains were attached to her legs, hinting that she escaped. She was lying on her side with a bullet wound on her shoulder.

"Make sure she can't escape this time" Kurai heard one of the hunters say. It was hard to see their faces and they covered it with some sort of mask. The other hunters pulled out a leather strap, and began to bind the wolf's muzzle shut. She growled at them weakly, but couldn't muster the strength to fight them off.

"Let's take her back" another hunter said as they began dragging the female wolf by her chains into a cage that was situated nearby.

"What are we going to do?" Rain whispered.

"We can't go against them like this, Kurai's already injured" Hail whispered back. He looked back to where Kurai was, except that there was no Kurai nearby.

"Oh shit" Hail said as he caught a glimpse of Kurai's black figure leaping over the hill, and rushing at the group of hunters.

**A/N: Sorry, no new characters introduced yet *^*. I'm going to start introducing them chronologically, and it's probably going to take me a few chapters to put the ones requested in. Don't worry though, they'll be put in eventually~**


	7. Chapter 6

**Really sorry about the long update, I've had finals this week T^T. I've been writing in parts, and I'm writing another story for Okami right now so that's occupying my time. Thanks for waiting, and enjoy the new chapter.**

"I hear something" Toboe whispered, his breaths coming in huffs from the running. Being so close to the reactors drained their energy, but it didn't have a huge effect on them. Except for Shiroi.

"I smell something as well. It's a weird scent..." Aatu added in. He sniffed the air again, his white flecked ears perking up. "A human, yet not human. The smell of flowers..."

They heard something hit the ground behind them, and they turned around to see Shiroi on his side, breaths coming in shallow gasps.

"Shiroi!" Toboe cried as he ran towards his fallen comrade.

"Are you okay?" Aatu asked, running towards him as well. Shiroi closed his eyes halfway. "Go... on without me..." he whispered to them.

They shook their heads. "We can't just leave you here!"

"You...have to find...her" Shiroi gasped.

"Her? Who's her?" Aatu whispered.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps from above them. Standing on a half broken bridge way, a man stood in the moonlight, holding a girl in his arms. His black robe flowed from chest to toe, and his yellow eye flashed towards them.

"Wolves..." he smirked. "I must thank you for waking up the Flower Maiden."

"Darcia..." Shiroi whispered weakly, attempting to stand up to face his once hated enemy.

Darcia's eyes regarded Shiroi's fallen body for a moment, before returning his attention to all three of them. Aatu and Toboe both snarled at him. Smiling, he raised his hand towards them, and what was in his hands seemed to be a remote control. In the center of the control was a red button, and his thumb pressed on it.

A huge explosion from above them was heard. Suddenly, Shiroi's body felt lighter and his energy slowly began to replenish. He looked at Darcia questioningly.

"A farewell present, as well as a thank you present for waking up the Maiden" Darcia grinned. Shiroi jumped to his feet and snarled, about to leap at Darcia. Darcia gripped the girl by the neck, and held her up high in the air. She emitted a high pitched scream, and all three wolves winced and fell to the floor in agony. Only after did the sound stop, they rose to their paws, but Darcia and the girl was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Kurai jumped onto one of the hunters, sinking his fangs into the man's shoulder. The man fell onto his knees with a cry, and all the other hunters readied their weapons aiming at Kurai. Kurai snarled viciously before leaping off the man's shoulder, onto the cage where the she-wolf was being held. He threw his head back in a howl. The hunters had Kurai in their crosshair, but Rain and Hail both leaped in and stood by Kurai. They all snarled at the hunters, who pulled back in confusion. They weren't expecting three wolves coming out of nowhere, they already wasted most of their resources on capturing the she-wolf who laid in the cage. Kurai took a step forward as Hail and Rain raised their ears in surprise.

"Kurai" Rain whispered. "What are you doing?"

Kurai turned and smiled back at her. Facing the hunters, Kurai's eyes started glowing and the markings on his body began to light up. He growled at the hunters, and the hunters fell onto their knees as if an invisible force was pushing them down.

"What the hell is going on?" cried one of the hunters.

"Monster!" another hunter shouted.

Kurai's eyes and markings stopped glowing, and he glared at the hunters. Shaking heavily, the hunters scrambled off screaming "Monster! Demon!" into the distance.

"W-what did you do?" Rain asked Kurai, her voice shaking.

"What are you?" Hail added in.

Kurai sighed and looked at them. "I'll explain everything later, we need to help this one first."

The three wolves surrounded the cage, sniffing at the injured she-wolf inside. Kurai noticed multiple bullet wounds, one in her hind legs and another in her shoulder.

"Help me bend these bars" Kurai instructed as he busied himself bending the iron bars with his mouth. Rain and Hail assisted him, and after a few minutes they had a hole large enough to slide the she-wolf through.

"Poor thing" Rain whimpered, looking at the chains and strapped muzzle that the hunters used on her. She also noticed the red lines underneath the she-wolf's eyes.

"Let's get this off" Kurai commanded as he pawed at the leather strap off the she-wolf's muzzle. Suddenly, brown her eyes flickered open and a growl rumbled in her throat.

"Calm down, we're here to help" Hail said as he attempted take off the chains attached to her legs. The she-wolf seemed to accept this, as her eyes started closing out of fatigue.

"There!" Kurai said as he yanked the leather strap off the she-wolf's muzzle and threw it away. "We have to get away from here, those hunters may come back."

Rain nodded as Hail bit through the last piece of chain binding the she-wolf's paws. Kurai slipped under the she-wolf's belly and stood up, wincing from his injuries.

"I think it's better that you let me carry her" Hail said, walking next to Kurai.

Kurai shook his head. "I can manage, we have to leave. I can smell them, and they've brought friends."

The wolves trudged off into the forest, attempting to find shelter.

_Shiroi, I hope that you're having a better time than I am_ Kurai thought to himself.

* * *

"Where did that bastard go?" Shiroi snarled, shaking his head in confusion. The sound of yells and shouts echoed through the air, half the castle was blown away from Darcia's airship. Many guards and scientists laid unconscious inside the castle.

"Let's worry about that after we get out of here!" Aatu shouted at Shiroi.

"No! We have to find him!" Shiroi persisted.

Toboe's ears perked up. "I hear a bunch of people coming, what are we going to do? Aatu? Shiroi?" his eyes looked at them, pleading for a decision to be made.

Aatu growled at Shiroi, and leaped at him. Grabbing Shiroi's scruff, he hauled the white wolf after him. Shiroi thrashed and struggle, but Aatu's determination was stronger. Shiroi still felt weak, and the fact that Aatu could grab him just like that proved how much of a struggle he was able to give.

"Let's get out of here" Aatu said to Toboe through a mouthful of Shiroi's fur.

"Let go of me!" Shiroi demanded and tried biting Aatu.

Aatu glared at Shiroi, and stopped their escape briefly. He dropped Shiroi to the ground and placed a paw on his body, holding him down while staring at him in the eyes.

"If we stay here, we're going to die. Are you really going to risk it to find someone who's probably already gone?" snarled Aatu. Shiroi kept Aatu's glare for a moment, before looking away in shame.

"If you're going to lead us," Aatu continued. "Then act like a leader and stop making decisions that could hurt your pack."

_Pack?_ Shiroi thought. He never considered them to be a pack, but looking at it now, it kind of does look like they're a pack. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, before standing up and shaking his body. He opened his eyes with new resolve.

"That's better" Aatu grinned at Shiroi. "Now, what are we going to do?"

Shiroi looked at Aatu and then Toboe. Looking over the high walls of the castle, he decided.

"We're going to climb to the top to make our escape, then we'll find the others" he stated without a hint of hesitation. They heard footsteps, and they sprung their plan into action. Gun fires were heard, and shots were fired at them, but they kept running. Looking back, they saw the destruction that Darcia has caused, as there were buildings inside the castle on fire and bodies lying on the floor. The moonlight reflected Shiroi's body, making it seem like he was glowing. When they reached the top, Shiroi stopped.

"Once we leave this city, there's no coming back" Shiroi told them. Aatu nodded at him in understanding, while Toboe gave a small whimper.

"It's so high up!" Toboe cried. "I can't do it!"

"Yes you can" Aatu encouraged him. "Just don't look down and jump."

"I can't!" Toboe whimpered. A bullet whizzed past their face, and without hesitating, Aatu pushed Toboe down. He fell screaming before landing on his legs, shaking heavily all over.

"Aatu" Shiroi said. Aatu turned and faced Shiroi.

"Thanks" Shiroi grinned his wolfish grin at him.

"Anytime" Aatu replied with a grin of his own. Shiroi prepared to jump, but he felt something heavy slam into him and knocked hm off the edge of the wall. In confusion, he looked back and saw Aatu's figure, and he saw something pierce through his body. Aatu stumbled, his legs no longer supporting his weight as he slipped and fell. Droplets of blood fel onto the snow below them. Shiroi landed on the snow first without injuries. He looked up to see Aatu's falling figure slam onto the snow near him. Shiroi's eyes widened in panic as he ran towards the fallen wolf.

"Aatu!"

**A/N: Oh noes, poor Aatu D:**


End file.
